Begin by settling in to a comfortable sitting position on a straight back chair,
A meditation stool or a cushion.
Make sure that if you're sitting on a chair to come away from the back of the chair if that's comfortable for you to sit in an upright dignified position.
The spine can be upright but not stiff,
The shoulders dropping down,
The head nicely balanced.
Sitting in a way that will support an intention to be present,
To be aware,
And allow the body to become still.
If you're comfortable,
Let the eyes gently close or perhaps you want to keep them open and rest them on a point in front of you,
Whatever makes you more comfortable.
When you're ready,
Bring awareness to the physical sensations.
Focusing attention on sensations of touch and pressure where the body makes contact with the floor,
Where the body makes contact with a chair or whatever you're sitting on.
Explore the details of these grounding sensations,
Tuning into them,
Sensing into them.
When you're ready,
Move the focus of your awareness to sensations that come and go as the body breathes.
If it's possible to feel the movement of the breath in the nostrils,
In the throat,
Chest,
The movements of the abdomen,
The subtle sensations of breathing in and breathing out.
Invite your awareness to settle at the lower abdomen,
The belly.
Bring your awareness to this part of your body,
Tuning in to the sensations in the abdomen as the air enters and leaves the body.
Perhaps aware of a slight stretching of the abdomen wall as you breathe in,
And a gentle fall in the way as you breathe out.
Perhaps noticing the brief pauses between the in-breath and the out-breath,
And between the out-breath and the in-breath.
The sensations may be very subtle,
So moving in close and bringing interest to the changing patterns of sensations.
Remembering if your mind wanders to gently guide it back,
And also that there's no need to try to control your breathing in any way.
Let the body breathe naturally,
Letting the breath breathe itself.
See if it's possible to bring this sense of allowing to the rest of your experience.
Nothing to be fixed.
No special state to be achieved.
As best you can,
Allow this experience to be just as it is.
Not trying to do anything or get anywhere.
Simply being with breathing.
It's very normal.
If the mind wanders to worries,
Daydreams,
It's not a mistake or failure.
Gently guide it back to your awareness,
The sensations in the belly.
This particular breath coming in,
This particular breath going out.
Tuning in to the full duration of the in-breath.
And the full duration of the out-breath.
Savoring the breath.
Each breath different.
Each breath unique.
Guiding the mind back if it wanders.
Using the breath as an anchor.
An anchor to the present moment.
If the breath feels too difficult,
Choosing another point in the body.
A point of grounding.
A point of safety.
Just this breath coming in.
Just this breath going out.
Just this moment.
Just this breath.
Just this moment.
Just this breath.
Reminding yourself that the breath or any part of your body that feels grounding is always available as an anchor.
To come back to this present moment.
Right here.
Right now.
